Insanity Through Default
by Seth the Inu
Summary: "Are you ready? Yes? Well then, let's go. But just a warning - you'd have to be mad to join me..."


_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, nor the idea of 'Alice in Wonderland'_

**Insanity Through Default**

"Hey! Hey, wait!" A voice called out as the body moved through the sparse trees, following at a fast pace the bounding white creature just ahead. The dried-up brown leaves and dead branches from the bare trees crunched under the person's feet, the sound filling up the life-void barren area, yet no noise was heard from the small animal as it jumped and scurried across the earth's surface. "Come on, I just want to help."

Which is what started the whole fiasco in the first place.

While on his casual walk to gain a chance of peace and solitude from the crowded house that his entire family of eight lived in, the teenager's distracted path led him to a new, less visited part of the town, where a snow-white rabbit lay on the ground, panting heavily. It's distant multi-coloured eyes darted back and forth, almost as if searching for something of great importance. But when the jade and gold iris's landed on him, the creature gave one last look before scurrying into the thin dead forest.

Now, though the different colour of each eye and it's fur shade interested the human, he was ready to just let it go back to its life in nature. But the bright red stain on a front paw that continued to leak forced him to take action and follow, hoping to catch the animal and take it either to the local vets, or back home and get the limb looked at and healed.

Sure, by now he had missed his curfew for home, but this was something more important than the simple time; besides, with how mismatched and unorganised his close relatives were, they probably wouldn't notice or care.

Open underneath the small space available between the roots of two gnarly trees that had intertwined, creating a decrepit arch from the branches of the wooden corpses, a large rabbit hole was visible, the shade darkening the further down under the ground it got. The white rabbit shot down into the sanctuary, its form merging with the blackness before disappearing completely from sight.

Panting loudly, he skidded to a stop, leaning over with his hands on his knees, attempting to catch his breath once more. He did have to, however, lift one hand up to readjust his oversized black shirt that hung flatteringly on his body properly, one shoulder being exposed as the material fell off it, revealing the white tank top worn underneath and a plain golden armband on the top of his arm, glinting in the light. Giving a push up, he gave a long look into the hole, glad that the injured animal had made it home safely, but still worried, wishing to take it with him to properly make sure the wound got treated right. Yet he knew there was nothing to do now except leave the rabbit be.

Turning on his heel, the teenager took a few steps back the way he came, only to pause as he finally heard the crunching noise underneath. Glancing down, he noticed the old broken leaves and sticks littering the ground beneath his simple black converse shoes, and a few scattered pieces of dead foliage that had gotten stuck on the material of his dark skinny jeans that where held up by a silver-studded belt.

His hand out, he brushed the foliage off himself, stopping when he noticed the shuffling of something moving in the leaves behind him. Taking a peel over his shoulder, he stared at the white animal that had emerged from the hole in the ground, blinking it's mismatched eyes back at him, one ear flopped over, the other partially raised in the air. It's hind leg made a thump-thump-thump noise before, miraculously before his eyes, indicating it's head in the direction of the entrance to its home, as if inviting the human into where it lived.

Bewildered at the human-like invitation from the creature, the teenager felt that he had to accept the strange offer, lowering himself to his knees to become a more appropriate height to fit into the gap. He shifted one hand in front of the other, slowly feeling his way through the darkening tunnel, until nothing could be seen. The constant scratching and thumping sounds however reassured that yes, he was still on the right track.

Unfortunately for him though, the sounds echoed throughout the small space, misdirecting him without his realising until it was too late. Believing the pale rabbit was close in front of him, he reached out, attempting to grab it, only to drop him hand down... and down... _and down_, his body following in the slight tumble down the empty space on the floor, smashing downwards harshly into another cavern under the ground.

Banging his head badly against the hard surface, the teenager began to feel his head go lightheaded, everything faint and light, as he started to lose consciousness. As he was fading into the inner dark of his mind, he felt something, something human, grasp his outstretched hand and began to pull him forward. The last thing he properly registered was that his body was being dragged further into the earthy maze before finally blacking out.

- O -

_Sleep well, little guest, and dream dreams of wonder and light. For when you awaken, your reality will shift, and things will not be as they were before._

- O -

"Urgh," came the low moan from the human as he finally came back to the bright world of consciousness, swiping a hand over his eyes. Lying in his prone position, he was able to note that he was comfortably resting on his back on a patch of soft grass, and the falling rays of the sun danced against his body, warming it up nicely.

Letting out another groan, the male opened his eyes partially, gazing hard at the blurred unfocused shadow above his head, two long shapes swaying and twitching above. Squinting, he blinked a few times, watching as the figure came into focus, only to stare in astonishment.

A male face stared down at the teenager, his mismatched yellow and jade eyes calculating, as long blue-white bangs fell over his face, the rest of the long length of hair held back at the nape of his neck with a woven leather band. An upturned royal blue collar covered his neck, ending below his chin. But it was the swivelling tall white ears on the man's head that grabbed the teenager's attention, just watching as they _moved_ by themselves. '_That's impossible!_'

All of a sudden, with no warning or explanation to anything, the human hybrid spun around and pushed away, making a break for the line of trees that surrounded the lush clearing, fading into the branches and trunks of the plants.

"Hey, wait!" the younger one called out, raising himself back up into a horizontal position, taking a moment to re-orientate himself, before giving chase. He had no clue as to what was going on, or where he currently was, or _anything_ at the moment, but he was sure that the injured rabbit that he was following before was, somehow, the man he was now running after, and as far as he could think at the time being, someone who could give him the answers. "Please come back!"

Breaking through the first layer of trees, shoving the numerous branches and sticks out of the way with his hands, his gaze lost sight of the distant figure bounding away, until all that was left for him to see were more trees and bushes all around. Little patches of light filtered from between the rustling leaves, giving some visibility underneath to help him search for the way back, but with all the twists and turns he had made in the chase, he had lost sight of the clearing, effectively causing him to be astray and confused in this unknown forest, that sang and whispered with unusual and strange voices which put him on a nervous edge.

Deciding it unwise to aimlessly wander around from years of being told of what to do when lost, the male moved towards a fallen log, sitting down on it after checking it would not break or collapse underneath his body. Chin in his hand, he looked around the place he had sat in, wondering how long it would take for someone to come and find him; obviously he was brought here for some reason that they would not divulge the reason to him. There would be no point in losing him this early, would there?

The trail of thought was paused at the rustling in front of him, causing his head to raise intriguingly, tilted slightly to the side, looking inquisitively at the shaking bush, but also partially worried.

"Mr White Rabbit?" the human called out, hoping that if it was, he would come out and lead the teenager away from this strange place, and hopefully take him home. Unfortunately, fate did not choose to be backing him at the moment as twin maniacal giggles came as the response to his call, forcing him to edge further away while on his log.

The noise stopped, leaving the eerie silence of the forest to take its place once more. Scared, he leant forward, only to jump back again as two almost identical heads popped out from the foliage, matching colour of straight platinum blonde hair swaying around their tanned faces and violet eyes. With a high-pitched squeal of excitement, the two dashed out of their hiding spot and latched onto him securely, one positioned on each side, snuggling into him affectionately, a hum sounding out from either one.

Sitting there, arms raised in the air as he had no idea where to put them and there was no way he was going to _touch_ the two intentionally, the teenager stared bug-eyed at the cuddlers, frozen stiff from fright. He didn't know what to do, nor how _safe_ these two were.

Though basically petrified, he mentally took in the matching outfits worn by the blondes, noting how almost exact they were. Skin-hugging purple tights adorned the entire length of their legs, frayed at the end over bare yet clean feet that were curled in happiness at the moment. Their chests were covered in a dark mesh-type shirt, that framed their necks, falling to mid-thigh where it hung and flowed like the skirt of a dress. A black crop jacket covered their otherwise bare shoulders, the front opened, while gold cuffs were worn on their arms above the wrists, glinting in the light when they moved.

The eyes of the two were outlined in a thick layer of kohl that on any normal person would give a look of someone dead, yet appeared remarkable around their gleaming lilac, making the eyes appear brighter, more alive. It was, however, the dangling piece of jewellery that set the twins apart. On opposite ears from the other, each wore a swirling green stone, set in a gold chain that was linked to the numerous chain-linked piercings up the entire length of the chosen ear.

Still sitting there, trapped from both sides, the teenager deduced that maybe these two were alright, relaxing his arms back down - they were starting to hurt being suspended up there for so long. He did not expect what was going to happen when he laid one hand on each of their backs.

With another giggle escaping from the blonde on the teenager's left, the one that wore his earring on his right ear, the tanned one caressed a hand against the loose material of his human teddy bear. "My name, pretty, is Malik, of sweet words and pleasure."

"And mine, pretty," the other began, the earring on his left ear shining as it swung to and fro slightly, nuzzling into the teenager's side, "is Mariku, of nightmares and terror."

"Um, well, hello then, Malik and Mariku," he said, feeling it only right to return the privilege and introduce himself after learning the names of the two clinging to his person, despite how uncomfortable they were making him feel. "My name is Y-"

"We do not need to know your name," Mariku growled out, his hold on around the waist tightening ever so subtly, before relaxing again, his tone returning to the more content, happy one. "We have called you pretty, and pretty your name shall be."

Nodding his head, the other blonde agreed with his twin. "Pretty, pretty, what brings you to our part of the world? To this world?"

"Eh?" the teenager asked, interested in the last sentence. "World?"

"Mmhmm," Malik hummed out, rubbing his cheek against the other's bare shoulder. "You smell like human, meaning you cannot be from here."

"Oh." Thinking about what he had seen since waking up, he gathered that it did all make sense now. Glancing between the blondes, Mariku now on his back, head resting on the human's lap and staring expectantly like a child waiting for a bedtime story, and Malik having repositioned himself to his knees, arms wrapped around his shoulders, hugging the teenager to the tanned male, he figured it was best to ask someone who lived in this... world, about the creature he had started following before.

"Well, um, I was chasing after this, white rabbit... man... thing? And then, I lost sight of him and-"

Maniacal laughter rang around the area, interrupting into whatever else he was going to say. The weight on his legs disappeared, followed by a 'thump' on the ground, but the maker of the sound took no notice, hugging his stomach as if it was in pain as Mariku just continued to laugh. Malik's body had started shaking with his own laughs, face buried in the cloth of his living teddy. They gave a pause, the twins staring at one another for a moment before sharing a word. "Dartz." After that, they went back to laughing about the unknown joke, the one with the earring on his right joining his companion on the ground.

Letting out a frustrated sigh at the terrible antics of the two, the human stood up from his log, brushing the various splinters of wood and moss of his pants, determined to leave. Forget what he had learnt about forests, anywhere else would be better than being around these two insane people. Unfortunately he was not allowed to go far, being pushed back onto the log and finding a blank-faced Malik straddling his lap. He fought to get rid of the blush on his cheeks, but the monotonous words spoken made him freeze.

"Play a game with us. Play, pretty, play, and stay."

The words themselves would have sounded like the Malik he had been busy trapped with if not for the dull violet eyes that accompanied the dead-toned voice, nor the excitable jumping and touching. With the feeling of something being completely wrong, the teenager's fear was confirmed when the other blonde stood up and just stared, making no move to come closer, his own eyes having lost their shimmer, speaking in the same tone.

"Yes, pretty, the idea sounds like fun, no? Play with us, stay with us, forever and ever. We'll have fun aaall day."

Feeling positively creeped out from how the two were acting, he nodded his head frantically, deciding it to be in his best interest to go with the flow, not wanting to incur anything horrid if he declined the 'invitation'.

At the affirmative answer, the expressions of the twins changed back to what they were before, Malik leaping out of his position and over to Mariku, the two clasping hands, jumping around in circles together, chanting in a sing-song voice that rang clear their childish enthusiasm. "He'll play! He'll play! He'll play! All and every day!"

"Er..." One hand raised in the air as an attempt to stop the skipping duo, he stared wide-eyed, frozen in place. All day? _Every_ day? Sure, he wanted to stay safe, but that was not exactly what he was agreeing to.

In a flash, shoulder to shoulder, the twins leaned down over the teenager, wide calculating smirks on their lips. "We're going to play a game," Mariku stated.

"The most funnest game ever!" his twin joined in, throwing his arms briefly up into the air dramatically with the words, his mouth twitching brighter compared to the other. "We enjoy it, and we'll make you enjoy it as well."

A shiver rode up his spine at the almost menacing words, the underlined threat heard beneath even if it wasn't supposed to be there. He knew that he had no choice, and could only wait it all out until an opportunity came. "What... _kind_ of game?"

At his question, their smirks turned darker, more sinister, the shadows on their faces enhancing the scary facials. No direct answer was given however, Malik jumping straight into it, leaning over the human's shoulder, speaking with a low, haunting voice, goose bumps appearing on the teenager's flesh from the breathy sensation on his ear.

"_I am a child, and a simpleton all at once.  
All are born with me, but rarely am I ever possessed at death._

_What am I?_"

Confused at first at the strange words, the outsider caught onto the 'game' with the last words, dark eyebrows scrunching up together in thought. Now beside him once more on each side, the blondes stared with unmoving violet gazes, so still and quiet as they watched their new prey struggle

One finger tapped against his chin as he pondered, muttering under his breath low enough for the duo to not hear actual words, but the slur of noise out together. A glance to the left and right showed their silent cheer at his struggles; it made him feel a tad guilty to break that happiness. Only a little, no more.

"Innocence."

Reeling back at the word, the twins stared open-mouthed, shocked that their toy had so easily guessed correctly.

"Well done, pretty," Mariku praised in an annoyed tone, his fingers settling on the skin of the human's neck, not squeezing, just resting, yet the younger one felt the warm threat, unable though to move backwards from the digits, the image of their blank faces flashing through his mind. "But now, it's my turn for you. And this time, you will have only thirty seconds to find the answer. If not, well then..." He flexed his grip barely, just enough to get his point across.

"_If I have it, I don't share it.  
If I share it, I don't have it._"

With a frantic rush, the teenager's mind began to scramble over the words in a hurry, trying to decipher the code as great as possible, ignoring the extra heat around the exposed junction of his neck. His hands trembled on his lap, ignoring the cold gaze on the side of his head, and the insistent and annoying humming coming from Malik, who was occupied with rubbing his face anywhere he could get to on the human, taking no care as to _where_ it was rubbing.

Out of the corner of his vision, he noticed how tanned fingers would lower in a specific time and order, counting away his time, and his chances of safety.

Just as the timing digits made their last round during the cycle, a devilish grin on Mariku's face, a word burst forward out of his mouth, stunning the clearing into silence once more.

"What was that you said?" the riddle-giver questioned, unbelieving his ears.

"The answer," the human answered hesitatingly, his gaze meeting the swirling purple, and what looked to be shimmering flecks of... green? "It's a-a secret, isn't it? I guessed right, didn't I?"

"Yes, yes," Mariku hissed out, forcing his head to face the other way, his hand now free from the teenager's neck rubbing his own head, attempting to alleviate the headache that had appeared out of nowhere that could be explained without consequences of a most severe kind.

Malik, having sensed his partner's discomfort and the uneasiness of their toy, sat up in his spot, resting his chin on the black-covered shoulder comfortably. His own lavender gaze watched the troubled blonde as he faked a laugh. "Oh, don't scare pretty away so quickly. We've only just started to have fun with him. And it's been so loooong since we had fresh company."

Wanting but unable to edge away from the tittering blonde, he settled for just staring at the ground, pushing a couple of leaves around with the toe of his shoes, listening to the dead crunch of the fallen fauna underneath.

"Here, let's lighten the mood again with another riddle. But, no time limit this time," the grinning twin announced, pushing his way again into the personal space of the human, "just because I am an amazing person." He gave another titter at his own words, ignoring the worried crimson eyes darting around the clearing, searching for a safe escape route.

"_It begins and has no end,  
But is the ending of all that begins._"

Shying away from the once more morbid tone that took over Malik's voice, he continued to stare at the leaves, watching them be broken into smaller pieces from simple, light touches, the tinier pieces being lifted into the air by the breeze and dragged away. He mentally repeated the words over and over in his head, considering numerous answers, while his stare stayed fixed on the dead particles of nature, until it clicked.

Whipping his head around, the teenager confidently said, "Death. That is the answer."

Releasing a high-pitched squeal of delight, the twin pulled his pretty into his arms, hugging the head to his chest as a parent would to a small child. "What a clever, clever mind you have! I'm so proud!"

"Don't get too proud," Mariku warned from his side, standing up to position himself in front his partner, all traces of the headache and anything unusual gone. Arms crossed over his chest, he leant down, a nervous glance sent in the teenager's direction. "You remember what's going to happen to him, don't you?"

"What?" the squished one asked muffled, confused now, looking back and forth between the blondes. "What's going to happen?"

"Fun!" Malik shouted, releasing his hold to jump up and begin a wiggling dance, hands clapping enthusiastically. But he didn't buy the act one bit, yet let the insane male continue to try convincing them otherwise.

"Oh."

"Lots of fun. Lots and lots and lots," Mariku nodded, fondly watching his companion even as he talked to the human. "In fact, we'll have so much, that I have another riddle for you to guess. On a casual time this round though."

"Uh..."

Clearing his throat, the now saner male turned his attention to the one still seated, relaxing his arms, positioning his hands on his hips.

"_ I come in darkness, but fill the mind with light.  
I bring enlightenment to some, while gripping others in the hand of fear.  
With me it can be a journey of inexplicable joy and sorrow.  
What I will show you will often be unreachable.  
Journey with me and what you see may haunt you.  
Journey with me and you may never want to return home.  
Journey with me and you will never know when it will end._

_What am I?_"

Considering the much longer riddle, bringing forth each word over and over, mulling the clues in his mind, he paid no attention to the distracting scene of the two trouble-bringers that appeared to be having a silent conversation with a lot of pointing to their matching but opposite earrings, shared expressions of distress contorting their features.

"A dream," he murmured, reflecting on what it is little boys and girls usually wish to be when at a small age, parading in costumes that were made all the more wonderful when combined with the ecstatic imagination, creating their own joyful journey that gave them hours upon hours of enlightenment. "The answer is dreams."

A round of applause was the approval to his words, as well as Malik taking in a breath for preparation for the next question, only to be interrupted by the human's eager tone.

"You know, since you have played such an exciting game with me, why don't I contribute and give _you_ one to answer as well? It's no fun if I'm the only one to answer." The pouting look he gave also helped in attempting to convince the duo, besides masking his internal cheering of his plan to escape starting. He could not only hope it would work if they took the bait.

While Mariku pondered the idea, his other whispered in an awed voice. "We've never had someone want to play _with_ us before." His tone dropped to something more sensual, his face relaxing into a coy interested look. "But, it would be interesting to see just how clever you can be."

Taking in the sudden different personality, he noticed how emerald flecks had now appeared in Malik's own gaze; he however could not understand the reason of why it happened. Choosing to ignore it for now though, the human cleared his throat, grabbing the further back blonde's attention as well.

"_The following sentence is false.  
The preceding sentence is true.  
Are these sentences true, or false?_"

A laughing shriek of pleasure came from Malik, who gazed with a cunning smirk, the speckles still present, swirling among the dulled violet. "Oh, you _are_ very smart, aren't you? The choice was correct - brain, charm and looks all rolled into one."

Now feeling extremely freaked over the comment, the teenager choked out a hoarse, "Excuse me?"

With a flippant wave of one hand, Mariku stepped forward, grasping his twin's shoulder to pull him backwards and away, drawing the distant attention to himself. "No, no, that's all wrong. The answer is true."

"Eh?" Blinking, the green fading away with each closing of the eyes, the other shook his head, frowning at the blonde gripping his shoulder. "What do you mean 'true'? It is obviously false. The entire thing."

"_I_ am right," the one with the left earring boasted, his chest puffing out confidently, "and _you_ are wrong. True."

"False," Malik stated, poking his partner in the chest.

"True," he poked back.

"False."

"True."

"False."

"True."

"False."

"True."

"_False_."

"_True._"

As they continued to argue over the correct answer, voices rising in volume with each word to prove who was right, the twins failed to notice their pretty casually walking away, being embraced into the thickness of the forest, a confident winning smile on his lips.

- O -

_For what goes up, goes to the left. And what is right must go backwards. Your ways are no ways, but mine are all._

- O -

Fingers trailing over the ridges, bumps and hollows of tree trunks he walked passed at a casual pace, the human looked around himself, hoping to find any indication - an opening, a path, a sign - of how to escape this forest. He wanted to find that rabbit - _Dartz_, the two blondes had called him - as fast as he could and go home. He could only imagine how angry and worried his family may be about now, if anyone noticed at all that he had disappeared.

Unfortunately, nothing was generous enough to spring out immediately to assist him, leaving him in the lurch to find the way out, forcing him to continue walking forward, losing the sense of time as he continued his invisible path. A sigh, full of failure and resignation, slipped out of parched lips, shoulders slumping at the helplessness of the situation. _'Why_?' he thought, gaze downcast yet watching where he stood. _'Why me? What did I do to deserve this?_' "This isn't fair."

"Nothing ever is."

Shocked at the response, the human froze in his steps, shoulders tensing up in fear. What was going to happen now? This wasn't what he wanted when he chased that stupid rabbit in the first place!

"You appear lost, precious traveller," the musical voice remarked, coming from around him but no set location.

He looked around the area he was standing in, searching for the owner of the new voice, only to find... no-one. Only more of the same trees and bushes that mocked him endlessly by trapping the poor teenager in the darkening forest.

He released a small frustrated groan, now annoyed that yet again someone was toying with him, and made to continue walking through more of the forest in the hopes of finally finding some way to escape the plants, when the amused voice spoke up again. "Look up, sweet one."

The human threw a quick exasperated glare over his bare shoulder, aimed above himself and into the trees, only to pause and stare with large eyes as the owner of the voice came into being.

Delicate feet came clothed in nothing rested against the thin fragile branch of a withered tree, thigh-high footless stockings climbing the thin legs, covered with alternating stripes of cerise and violet. A pair of small ebony shorts showed next, clinging tightly to curved hips and barely reaching down to the legs, revealing a slim amount of flesh of the pale limbs. After came a royal purple tank top that showed the lean stomach and slender arms, that were also clothed in fingerless gloves similar to his stockings, stretching to the middle of his forearms, covered in the same colour combination of stripes as his legs.

The last to show was the owner of the voice's face. Small and slightly round, eyes closed, two deep magenta stripes adorned each cheek just under the eye, golden bangs framing the face. The rest of the hair was styled in a similar manner of the human's own, with the exception of the tips; this person's ended in a deep purple, contrasting yet blending in with the midnight raven shade that took up the majority of the spikes.

The teenager could only stare open-mouthed as he took it all in, only to release a squeak as something _moved_ behind the new boy. A large, fluffy tail swished around the legs, wrapping around the limbs comfortably. The appendage drew his attention back to the coloured boy's head, where two dark pink triangular cat ears were nestled, just behind the blonde bangs, twitching like a feline's would.

The lost teenager couldn't move, too shocked, too amazed to do anything, until those eyes opened slowly, revealing a startling amethyst colour that pierced the soul and dove further, seeing into the very being of oneself.

The cat-boy gave a sly smile as he watched the teenager below him fidgeting, hiding the trembles. "Is this now better for your pleasure, sweet one, now that you may see?"

Nodding absently, he stared before the question properly registered in his mind. Giving a shake of his head in the attempt to think clearly, he stammered out, "Wh-who-what are-where did you... uhm... hi?"

Outright laughing in amusement at the combined jumble of words, the creature purred out, "Oh, you are so adorably _cute!_ May I keep you?"

Flustered at the question, yet unable to be rid of the growing heat to his cheeks, he ignored the question. "Because I was unable to get _any_ sort of relevant information from the other two, then maybe you might be able to properly answer my own question." From the inquiring head tilt from the one high up on the branch, he continued, wishing that this one made more sense than the twins did. "Where am I?"

"Ah," the feline male breathed out loudly, before twisting himself around and falling backwards, hooking his knees on the branch to swing upside-down, fluffy tail swaying to and fro, ignoring the shock on the human's face. "This is the grand Kingdom of Queens, where all ways are her ways, yet no ways are _all_ ways."

Not getting the simple answer he desired, the teenager moaned, head dropping into his hands at the realisation of how futile his attempt was. "I just want to go home," he whined, head shaking slowly.

With a thoughtful hum, the striped one spoke up. "The Queen may be able to help you go home, sweet one." He watched the depressed male give a hopeful look at the words, before pointing out another fact, absently chewing his lip. "You would, however, need to go through Dartz first to be able to get to her."

Dartz. The white rabbit man. That's what the twins had called the creature, and now this animalistic male had just said that name. A coincidence? Or just an off-hand chance? He didn't know, and being in this strange forest was starting to make his head spin and hurt like mad. "Dartz, huh? And how do I find him?"

Giving an exquisite giggle, the feline one back flipped from his position to land on the soles of his feet behind the human. His head leant over the bare-skinned shoulder, a clawed hand ghosting over the other, while he pointed down a worn-trodden path winding through the trees that was not there a moment ago. With a seductive whisper in the air that sent pleasurable chills down the teenager's spin, he simply directed, "Just follow straight down this path, and you'll find your answer."

Attempting and failing to maintain the shivers racking his body, the dark clothed one glanced to the side and behind, his mouth open to ask a very important question, only for the words to become caught in his throat. A sharp-tipped hand cradled his cheek softly as a pair of lips tenderly kissed the corner of his mouth. Amethyst twinkling with a hint of mischief, the cat creature murmured against the soft skin. "Good luck, sweet one," before vanishing completely, leaving only the warmth from the contact behind.

- O -

_Logic is thrown away, left to float about in the breeze. Reasoning abandoned for the joys of endless games and parties. What need is there for restrictions, if it only forces you down the wrong path?_

- O -

Carefully treading along the newly revealed path from thin air, he followed to wherever it was leading to, not wishing to take even a foot off for fear that it may disappear underneath him, leaving him once more lost in this seemingly endless forest. He had had enough of these similar-looking trees, partially worried as to what strange creature next would unexpectedly bound out, ready to torment him in one way or another.

His worry, his fear grew as the creamy-stoned pathway began to thin out for no reason, but lessened as bright light was able to creep through the growing gaps of the thinning trees, exposing a white-picket fence, badly maintained if the creeping vines and crumbling crusty stains were any indication, bordering around a small, shabby two-storied house. Many of the windows were boarded up, the remaining few with glass still in them having layers upon layers of caked dust clinging to both surface sides. The paint had faded to a sickly brown, patches of the putrid grey undercoat seen in flaky places. Shingles on the roof had fallen off, being left in their places in the unattended garden, which just grew and grew into one unmanageable tangled dried-out mass.

Tentative to go anywhere near the horrid heap, but realising that he needed to follow the guiding words the cat-boy had given to help him get home, the human reluctantly pushed the crumbling gate aside to enter the property, weaving around and over the weeds stretched out on the leading cobblestones, knocking with a hesitant hand on the black front door.

From the inside, the sound of hurried footsteps was heard coming closer, forcing him to sep backwards and away in worry. The noise however stopped, leaving behind the noise of someone gently breathing, almost expectantly, waiting for something.

"Um," the human called out, completely unsure as to what he should be doing, but deciding that talking was better than nothing. "I'm looking for someone called Dartz. Is he here? This is where I got told to go."

Without warning, the door opened barely and a hand shot out, grabbing the front of his shirt firmly and pulling the human through the door, leaving no chance of escape available. The door was then clicked shut, echoing around the dimly lit room, throwing shadows on every surface reached. Narrowing his crimson gaze, squinting in the dark, the human watched as a figure rushed around the area, back and forth, rifling through drawers and upturning objects in a search. He couldn't make out much in details or colours, but he noticed the creature wore a form-fitting vest that had the collar turned up at the neck, while a modest robe billowed out from under the item with the movements, the front split open to reveal tidy straight-legged pants. Muck like the lower half of the robe, the sleeves drifted with the motions, swaying in the air.

Pale-looking hair has tied together at the base of the neck, the long locks swishing with the hurried moves. Two long shapes poked out and up from the top of his head, one bent in half and angling oddly downwards.

"Don't just stand there," an impatient voice ordered, a captivating feel to it in spite of how harsh it was. "What do you want? And tell me fast, I'm in a rush."

"Huh?" Confused and broken out of her staring stupor, the teenager mentally shook himself. "Oh! Uh, I was told to come find you. You see, I want to see the Queen please, and-"

"Ha!" a bark of a laugh interrupted, the shadowy figure pausing in it's moving, staring at him. "You? A pitiful, disgusting human like _you_ wants to see our Queen? How amusing."

"I want to go home, and I've been told that she is the one to help me."

White teeth being revealed in what he could only describe as a smile that was mocking, the creature moved closer, making it easier for the teenager to see who it was. "Very well then, _human_," Dartz agreed, crossing his arms over his chest in an influential pose, his mismatched eyes glinting with something, the emerald glinting worse than the blonde twins did, "I will agree to help you gain an audience with your Queen. But only if you do a favour for me first."

Unsure and somewhat scared at the turnaround attitude in the rabbit, the human nodded slowly. "Alright?"

"I need your help to find my necklace. It's very important to me, and if it isn't found you soon... well then, I won't scare you with the disastrous details."

An involuntary gulp was heard, before he stammered out, "H-how will I recognise it?'

"Oh," came the response, a teasing tone carried within it, "you will. Believe me, you will." A hand unfolded from its position, and pointed to the barely lit delicate staircases. "You search up there, and I'll continue down here." And, with just that, Dartz twirled and disappeared into one of the few rooms on the lower landing, leaving the reluctant male alone.

Giving a glance at the dusty staircase, he let out a mournful moan before ascending, trying to touch as little as he possibly could, avoiding the hanging webs that fell from the ceiling, some broken from being abandoned so long ago. Every second or third stair gave a depressing creak under his weight, the echo made loud and ominous in the dimly lit space, until reaching the landing, where it just _groaned_ at the final step.

There was not much choice in where to go, with the only door slightly ajar, spilling a shaft of weak light over the dirty floor and peeling wallpaper, an inviting beacon for someone to enter. Using just his fingertips, hesitant to handle anything, he shoved the door open, peeking in to the barely furnished bedroom. A bed that looked like it had never been slept in and a dressing table with items cluttering the top were the only things he could see, all illuminated by a pale off-white colour that sifted through the filthy window.

Staying in the doorframe, unwilling to go any further into the cold empty room, his eyes scanned the area, searching for the sought-after necklace, staring into the jumbled mess that was there. A glint of something emerald stood out, attached to a plain yet fine gold chain, forcing him to move forward and reach out for it, lifting the decorative item up by the stone itself.

A flaming pain shot through his hand at the contact, burning badly the skin on his palm where the pendant touched, sticking to the flesh even when the human tried to let go of it, sizzling it even more and intensifying the pain further than desired. He smacked into the dresser as he shook his hand desperately to free himself, paying no attention to where he moved, trying to remove the stone. His movements halted when a large lime-coloured symbol with strange unknown runes and designs throughout it appeared on the floor underneath his feet, growing to a large size, a fearful bright olive glow illuminated out of each line, creating a barrier against the blackness that had appeared alongside the symbol. In the swirling purple-black shadows, creatures and silhouettes of horrifying appearances and shapes moved, trying to get to the human, outstretched claws and weapons attacking the barrier ferociously.

A terrified shriek was the only noise he could make, shaking his hand with more vigour, his other hand grasping the chain and yanking hard. With success after much tugging and pulling, he ripped the necklace away from him, throwing it into one of the far corners of the bedroom, glad to see that the broken connection had forced the ghastly sight to vanish immediately. Ignoring the round of now fresh pain the action had cause, he shot out of the room, leaving the pendant lying innocently on the floor, and thudded down the stairs, where he paused at noticing Dartz standing at the foot of them, gazing with an empty stare at him.

Stretching out, the rabbit snatched the teenager's hand, pulling it close to stare at the burnt palm and fingers. An obvious false frown was plastered on his lips, yet with the sadistic part to it that rang true, Dartz stared into his frightened gaze, gold and green clashing with the panicked garnet. "I heard a scream. Are you alright?"

Trembling from the false sincerity, he yanked his hand back and cradled it to his chest protectively, the matching appendage covering the injured one to try and hide it as much as possible. With no other thought, he shoved passed the smirking male and bolted out of the house, plunging back into the forest, the forest that now seemed to be a much more safer and welcoming place for him that that... _house_ was.

As he ran blindly among the trees, no intention given to take note of where he was going, a new path formed in patches before him, effectively guiding the injured teenager through the plants and bushes to a small pond of clear water. The closer it got to the water, the more the path faded away again, having directed hi properly to a place that would help with the healing process.

No heed to his clothes, which were already ruined with rips and loose threads from being caught on numerous branches and covered in dust, he knelt on the ground beside the pond and shoved his scorched hand into the cooling liquid, feeling the sting and heat being soothed away. A hiss of pain did slip out between clenched teeth, but the relief the action bought was worth it. He clenched and unclenched his fingers slowly, making sure they could still move easily, even if a little stiff from the skin being roasted and ripped, before bringing it out of the water to check the raw wounds, his other finger ghosting around the tender edges of the burns on his palm.

"That looks painful."

Yelping from the sudden voice to his right, the teenager's head flicked to the source, only to relax at seeing it was only the cat-boy from earlier. His amethyst sight was settled on the freshly injured appendage, brows scrunched in a mixture of confusion and sympathy, his clawed hands twitching to cradle it between his own, but remained placed on top of his knees as he copied the human's position of kneeling. "What happened to cause such mad marks?"

Releasing a sigh, from both the relief of it being the feline who found him and the horrid worry of what had just happened, the human gave a shrug of his shoulders, returning his hand back into the chilled waters. "I found Dartz like you told me to. But then, instead of helping, he asked me to find his necklace for him first in his room. So I went up, found it, and when I touched the pendant, it wouldn't come off, and some sign and... creatures... appeared around me. I managed to rip it off, and my hand go to be like this."

A cat-like hiss prevented him from saying any more, forcing him to watch as the other had a look of rage burning in his eyes. His ears had flattened down, and teeth were bared, a feral look on his features as his bushed-up tail swished back and forth slowly, as if awaiting something. "That is a most dangerous object to be near, let alone _touch_," he spat out, purple eyes narrowed dangerously, but not aimed at the teenager himself as he stared at the hand with the wounds. " I should have known that something like this might have happened." Such admonishment was heard in the second half, a sigh slipping out of the feline.

His clawed hand reached over and pulled the wet hand out, drawing it to his now calmer face. A pink tongue poked out from between his lips, tenderly flicking over the burns, making sure to soothe each and every one.

Blushing from such an intimate action, the human stared, the sensation of the sandpaper-like muscle sending tingles all over his body, tingles he found exciting, almost pleasurable. Underneath those tingles was also the feeling of the pain fading, falling back as if it was an old wound that left only the faint lingering touches of discomfort. Without moving his limb from its hold, he angled his hand to see it better, surprised to see that what had been red and raw and angry, was now scarred and taut and scabbed.

Giving one last brush of his tongue, the feline-type male placed a lingering kiss on the partially healed palm, his glittering, almost glowing, eyes not breaking the contact with wide crimson. "I'm sorry," he apologised, lips brushing ever softly over the skin, "but this is the most that I can do to help you wounds."

A grateful hum escaped from the teenager as he reluctantly pulled his hand back, staring at the marks that now looked as if they were weeks old. Silence fell over the duo, a forlorn expression creeping onto his face. His shoulders slumped as he released a mournful breath of air. "I just want to go _home_."

Eyes changing from concerned to sympathetic at the low, heartbroken words, the hybrid pulled the other into his embrace, tucking the human's head to his chest in a reassuring gesture, one hand rubbing circles on the ebony-covered back. Almost desperately, hands clutched to his own violet top, stabilising the human in his moment of breaking. The feline gave a rumbling purr to further help encourage the other to calm, to soothe and relax.

"Seto may also be able to help you in this matter," he mused loudly, feeling the teenager twitch under his hands, head lifting to stare expectantly, a hint of fear though asking the unvoiced question, forcing him to quickly reassure. "Oh no! Don't worry, he won't hurt you, I promise. However, you will need to go through Akefia and Ryou first to be able to see him properly." And giving no other explanation, he carefully eased the other back, standing upright before pulling his companion into the same position.

Clasping their hands together, the feline one began to guide the human through the forest physically this time, winding in and out and among the trees and branches, a laugh of joy let free as they ran, hearing a similar honest sound following from beside. Glancing over, amethyst noticed how happy the other now looked, running not from fear but for freedom, an expression of bliss covering his features.

"Where are we going?" the one covered in loose clothing shouted out, giving the hand he held a squeeze.

"You'll see," was the mysterious answer.

Focused on the warmth in his hand, he paid no attention to where they were going, only being led to the destination. He couldn't explain what was going on - heck, he couldn't even explain _anything _that had to do with this place - but he wasn't going to worry over it, but enjoy and embrace it for now.

Up ahead, another clearing revealed itself, but this one neatly groomed and inviting to whatever passersby may happen upon the place. The grass was clipped to an easily manageable level, giving trouble-free access to the front step of the simple yet quaint cottage, painted a calming mellow yellow with decorative wooden window shutters framing the panes of glass along the walls. An assortment of flowers of various colours were scattered and merged in planting boxes on the front of the building, swaying gently.

Situated right in the middle of the lawn in front of the house, a large flourishing tree grew, overhanging branches covering much of the sky's view, cherry blossoms floating to the ground and onto the long elegant table underneath, that was surrounded on all sides by comfortable chairs tucked under the edges. A tablecloth, coloured in a warm cream shade, highlighted the table's surface, with various cups and kettles and plates of snacks and biscuits and cakes laid out on clear view.

Two figures sat at one end of the extravagant table, the one who sat at the head position leaning back on their chair, with both feet resting on the edge of the table, large top hat lopsided on its perch on the pale-covered head, while the other, seated to the right-hand side, daintily sitting in their chair, a cup held between slim fingers, lifted halfway to be sipped.

"They will help you in getting to Seto," he pointed out, motioning to the seated duo with his free hand. "And don't worry, they won't bite, or attack you in any harmful way. Maybe playfully, though." The last part was added as an afterthought, giving no boost of confidence to his listener as to the personalities of the strangers.

With one more look at the two, the human turned to his companion, a confused expression on his face as he thought of something, something he deemed most important before departing company with the feline. "Why exactly are you helping me?"

The hybrid gave no immediate answer, tensing for a moment - in shock? In surprise? In fear? - before relaxing, plastering a smirk on his mouth, hovering in the air slightly in that unique way of his, the tip of his tail flicking playfully behind him. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips feather-softly on the teenager's cheek, close to the corner of his mouth. "Stay strong," he whispered, before vanishing once again, warm violet eyes the last thing to disappear.

With an almost fond chuckle, he shook his head, knowing that he should not expect the usual and straightforward with this place. "Bastard," he muttered to the air, yet was answered with an amused giggle, causing him to smile slightly.

- O -

_The darkness is dangerous, it can be cold if going into it alone. But of you take my hand, then I will guide you through it, keep you warm. I will lead you to the place in which you truly belong._

- O -

By himself once more, he stepped into the area of the home, standing proud and straight, no fear being shown as he grew closer and closer to the table. '_Stay strong, stay strong, stay strong..._'

It was the one with the hat that noticed him first, removing his feet from their position on the table, straightening out his jacket before nudging his partner, motioning to the approaching visitor of their abode.

Standing those close to the two, the lonely one could properly make out details that he had missed before, distracted by the warmth that had been by his side. The one that had noticed him first was dressed in a matching suit of a deep forest green shade, the coat long and, with the current seated position, draping on the ground from the excess length. Underneath the unbuttoned coat, a form-fitting dark mauve vest over a white buttoned shirt was seen, the shirt contrasting starkly against the dark-toned skin of the wearer.

Glancing up, the human took in the face, hard from years, if the long scar on one cheek was anything to say, yet still holding a slight tenderness underneath. Violet eyes, eyes that could see right through someone, were framed by messy pale hair, a shade of grey so pale it could almost be white, which was partially covered in a matching green top hat at an awkward angle, with miscellaneous baubles stitched onto the head adornment.

His companion wore a more pleasing outfit, one that suited his softer features. A loose sleeveless tunic top covered his torso, dyed an enriching pastel blue shade that went well with the lily-white skin tone, the length so long that the edge fell passed his thighs. A matching sash, a darker hue, almost sapphire, was wrapped tied around his waist, the excess of the material trailing down the left side, the ends swaying any motion. Earthy brown pants were visible, the legs flaring out at the bottom, nothing restriction the material as he went barefoot. Like his partner, he had snow-white hair, but longer, falling to mid-back in soft waves and curling around his pale face, making his brown eyes that much brighter. Long, floppy snowy ears draped down from the top of his head, one twitching up in interest at noticing the human.

A genuine grin on his face, the softer, brighter male jumped up from his seat and ran around the table towards their guest, grabbing a hand in excitement. "Welcome! Welcome! Come, join out tea-party. There's enough room for one more."

Giving in and deciding to just go with the flow, the teenager gave a shrug and returning smile. "Sure. Why not?"

With a giggle, the albino gently dragged him to the table, pushing him into the seat on the left of the other person before skittering away to leap back into his own. A pale orange ceramic cup, full of steaming, appealing tea, was pushed in his direction, causing him to stare at it and wonder if it was indeed safe for him to consume.

"You won't die from it," A deep voice spoke up, full of amusement at his silent debate, watching as a flush of red appeared on the human's cheeks. However, realising how horrid that might have sounded, the one with the hat sought to rectify the mood, displaying more delectable items to suit the drink. "Would you like milk? Sugar? There are also biscuits or cakes if you would wish."

"Oh. Um. Thank you." The human reacted for the small jug of creamy milk, pouring a small amount into his cup , taking a sniff of the amazing aroma at the same time. He let it out in a pleasant sigh, eyes closing in bliss. They opened again quite suddenly as he realised he had forgotten something important, believing that these two were quiet tame and friendly, unlike most of the others he had already encountered. "I'm sorry. You must think me rude. I haven't introduced myself."

"That's alright," the furry creature laughed at, lowering his cup he had taken a sip out of before, "because we haven't either. My name is Ryou, and as you might have been able to tell from my ears, I'm a hare."

"A hare?" He stared at the ears, noticing the slight differences now that it was made obvious. "So that means that you're different from whatever that Dartz guy is?"

"Mmhmm," the hybrid nodded, taking in the sudden shakes that racked the human male's body.

The other one spoke up, interrupting whatever else his partner was going to say, his tone heated. "You should stay as far away as you can from that man. He's nothing but trouble, now pure evil after he got taken in by that stone and serves only one person willingly."

"Eh? Stone?"

With a dismissive wave, the other changed the topic. "Since you now know my bunny's name -"

"I'm _not_ a bunny! I'm a hare!"

"- you should know mine. My name's Akefia, but for reasons known by everyone in this land, most call the Mad Hatter. So, now that that's done, why are you here?"

"Er, don't you want to know who I am?"

"Not important. Now start talking."

Shifting away slightly from the crazed-looking male, sparing a glance to Ryou who only gave a shrug and a smile, the human hummed. "Well, I need help to go see Seto, and the cat-boy said that you two would know how to do that?"

"You've met Yuugi?" Ryou asked, excitement in his tone as he leant as far as he could over the table without falling or knocking anything over.

A hesitant nod, he twirled the tip of his finger along the rim of his untouched cup."Is that his name? Yuugi?"

"Yeah, that's his name. And the twerp lives up to it too." Akefia gave a tired groan, rubbing his forehead as his eyebrows drew together in an exhausted look. "Won't stop playing some game or another that only he knows. But we still love the little guy somehow."

Chuckling, the long-haired albino moved from his spot to rub his partner's shoulders. "It's what friends do."

"Friends, huh?" the teenager mumbled to himself, thinking on how he would wander around his home town by himself, envious of the groups of people he would see having fun and making memories together, wishing he could be allowed to join in with the games instead of being pushed aside like wasn't worth anything. Yet he shook his head to dispel those treacherous thoughts, not wishing to go back to that again, and politely asked, "Will you be able to help me?"

The duo shared a silent look before Akefia rose up from his seat and began to make his way to the inside of their house. The teenager stared, confused at the strange response his, what he believed, simple question got. There was however no time to inquire as the hare leant against the edge of the table, legs crossed on his seat, staring at their still sitting guest.

"Well," the albino began curiously, head tilted slightly to the side, causing strands of his hair to fall over his face, "what have you gone through since entering into our wondrous land?"

Reflecting on the tormented events he had recently been out through and wanting to just forget it all as fast as he possibly could, the human decided to abbreviate as best as possible. "First, there were those two blonde twins that played with riddles until I gave them one to escape. Then, there was running through the forest until meeting... Yuugi? Mmm. After, was Dartz, who got me to grab a necklace of his that instead _burnt_ my hand."

"A necklace? Did it have a green pendant on the chain?" Ryou gasped out in shock.

"Yeah. Why?"

The albino jumped forward to grab the confused teenager by the shoulders, shaking him slightly in almost desperation. Tone firm, he stared straight into the wide crimson eyes, showing no hesitation, only insistence. "You must never, _never_, touch that stone. And you must never, _ever_ get involved in any way with it." Pulling away from the now scared male, the hare creature lifted his right hand, presenting the ring around his third finger. A wide solid silver band wound around the digit, with a miniature green stone set in the middle, that gleamed and shone and swirled in assorted shades of the colour. Chestnut eyes staring at the item, Ryou murmured, "It becomes nothing more than a painful curse that you cannot escape from. You become a mindless puppet in your own body, controlled only by the master puppeteer."

A clatter of wood against wood, followed by footsteps softened by grass underfoot presented Akefia's return, a plate with a small square covered in lime green icing on the ceramic platter. He stared at the scene he had walked into, concern twisting his features until his partner spoke up in explanation.

"Aké, show him your stone."

Sliding the dish onto the table in front of the invited tea-party guest, the Hatter gave a low groan before removing his hat, one rough finger pointing to a selection of pins.

Leaning closer, the human stared at the cluster, squinting as he tried to find out what was mentioned, until one stood out more than the others. Simple and dainty, a golden pin was nearly covered by the other mismatched ones, a small jade stone attached at the tip. Like Ryou's, it's colour also swirled and danced, like it had a life all of its own.

"Enough of that," Akefia proclaimed while grimacing, returning his hat back to its rightful place on the top of his head. "You boy, eat the cake now."

"Now?" he questioned, glancing at the small food item, wondering what was so important about this particular cake than the others that were already on the table. Was his original opinion wrong,? Were they going to end up drugging him? "But, Seto-"

Letting out a growl, interrupting the other words, the darker one glared at him. "This is what will help you _get_ to Seto. You do want that, don't you?"

"Yes."

"Then I suggest you eat it. _Now!_"

Figuring it wiser to do just that instead of argue with the snarling angry male, the dark-clothed one picked up the piece and, because of its size and the sinister look being given to him, placed the whole thing in his mouth, chewing and swallowing it straight after. There was no taste, no flavour, no strange tingling sensation that would leave people in complete bliss after from such types of treats. Instead, there was only the feeling of everything growing around him. 'O_h gods, they __**have**__ drugged me!_'

Frantic at the sudden size changes, he stared around himself in a panic, unsure of what to do now. Everything was so _large_ and _tall_, and he, he was so _short_ and _tiny_.

"What happened?" he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to force the duo to hear him, whether they wanted to or not. "What did you do to me?"

Apparently deciding not to even grace an answer, Akefia scooped the miniature human with his hands and hoisted him in the air, a dark and amused chuckle slipping from his mouth. Yes, just maybe his assumption of these two _was_ wrong in the end, and now he was trapped to face the horrid consequences of his lowered barriers.

Watching the paler one take another sip from his cup casually, the teenager began to fret even more, throwing all his logic of physics out of his mind as he began to run to the edge of the palm he stood on. '_Damn it, this is not what I wanted!_' was all that was going through his head as he leapt, only to start dangling briefly in the air before dropped back onto the palm.

"Oi! Behave will you." the Hatter grumbled, glaring at the stubborn human with annoyance. "This is what you wanted."

"No it's not!"

"Actually," Ryou interjected, beginning to see an argument ready to break out, "it is, but possibly not in the way you imagined." A disbelieving but confused look was given, urging for an explanation. "You wanted out help to get you to Seto, yes? Well, this is the only way, as your original height would be too large for a proper confrontation."

'_Too large? __**Too**__ large! What the heck am I meeting then?_' The frantic musings were stopped as he was raised higher again and placed on a olive-clothed shoulder, causing him to grasp onto the folds of the material for his life.

Turning away from facing the hare, he heard Akefia mutter, "Better get you there now before the cake's effect wears off." A long sigh was released, followed by, "Look, I can help you get as close as I possibly can, but the rest will be up to you. So, just sit there for the ride and whatever you do, don't fall off, cause I'm not going to chase after you if you do."

He gave a "mmhmm" of acknowledgement, yet his gaze was captivated with watching the ground below, and how he felt as if he was flying over the blades of grass and boulders of stones. Everything was so different, so much larger, so much more adventurous than his normal size. It was like looking through someone else's eyes, and seeing everything brand new, despite understanding what it was.

Enough was seen before an abrupt stop drew him from his keen observations, then the descent back to solid ground. He gazed in wonder at the tall blades of grass and weeds growing near him, before raising a confused eyebrow at his deliverer. Despite the strangeness of it - what _wasn't_ strange here? - the human was very much enjoying the trip.

His keen eyes watched as the pale-haired hatter knelt on the ground, a groan that spoke of disappointment accompanying the action. "This is as far as I can go without causing some major problems. All you need to do now is just walk that way," he raised one arm and pointed ahead of himself, angling slightly to the left, "until you reach a toadstool. You cannot miss it."

"Thank you for your help." With a grateful nod of his head to the hat tip Akefia gave as welcoming, the teenager turned on his heel in the direction given and continued the trek, pushing passed and weaving through the thick green blades that rose to full height and left him alone. Akefia had done as promised, and, despite no warning as to the method in how, had helped as much as possible with nothing to horrify or give him cause to flee fast.

- O -

_To play with change is a game of chance, if not played to both the proper and improper rules. One wrong move, one slight out of rhythmic breath could tip the scales in or out of your favour, beginning a shortcut or forcing a detour._

- O -

Small clouds of smoke, formed in different shapes, rose into the air and disappeared, their emergence just ahead of the human. He had continued in the direction pointed to him, giving him the hope that he was finally there. One last shove of a blade of grass broke him from his determined wanderings and into a partially clear area, where the only plant that inhabited the space was a large garden-brown mushroom, flanked by smaller ones around it's base that acted like stairs.

Giving his dark shirt a brush down from the clinging dirt and flora, the human stumbled forward, gazing up where he caught the glimpses of someone lounged out on the mushroom's head, back turned to him.

"Um... hello?" he called out, watching as the figure twitched at the hesitant greeting, before slowly turning around and sitting up. A cold, narrowed glare was directed at him, making the teenager wish to just leave as fast as he could, yet stood his ground. This was more important to him. "Are you Seto?"

Lips pursed at the question, tightening the scowling face even more. "If I am, if I am not," the other snapped out, his voice icy and merciless, "would it really matter to someone as insignificant as you?" A hand elegantly raised a mouthpiece to his lips, taking a deep, long drag of whatever substance came through the connected tube before releasing it into the air as a puff of smoke, that elaborately formed into a dancing question mark.

"Maybe." The answer was quiet, nearly timid as he considered how this new person regarded him as soon as even glancing. "Look, Yuugi told me that you could help."

"Yuugi?" The name was repeated sharply, followed by a ruthless sigh. The figure pushed himself to the edge of the mushroom, bound legs dangling off the side, to gain a better sight of the human. And in turn, the human was able to get a better sight of Seto.

A long, pristine white sleeveless coat was the only article of clothing to adorn his torso, displaying a well developed chest and muscles, that flexed as he moved. The long length of the coat draped down beside him on each side, the folds soft and the material lightweight, looking as if they were wings delicately folded behind his back. A billowing pair of thin deep cobalt pants hung low around his hips, the fabric shimmering in the light, cuffs gleaming with the faux gold material that closed the leg to the skin just above the foot, where gold bells attached to chains tinkled and chimed with any slight motion. A long black strip wrapped around his legs, fastening both legs together without a chance of breaking, the excess folds of the pants laying over the bindings. Wound around each arm, starting from the back of the shoulder and finishing on each individual finger, intricate gold tattoos weaved and swirled on the skin, contrasting with the many silver bangles and rings he wore.

Seto's face was just as beautifully simple. A styled haircut of chestnut had interwoven beads among individual strands, in colours ranging from blues to shades of white, to glimmers of gold and silver, and even the occasional black. Midnight blue lines were drawn on the edge of each eyelid, with the right ending out to the side of his face to form the exotic image of a tribal butterfly, deadly and sharp to touch, yet tantalizing and wondrous to behold. His keen sapphire eyes could be seen to hold many thoughts and answers, to have watched numerous events of great importance pass by, to know many wonders.

"Stop staring, human; I am not some form of oogling entertainment." The harsh order drew the teenager quickly from his observation of the new being, averting his crimson gaze to the side for fear of another reprimand. Though wonderfully beautiful to look at, Seto was a rather hard person to talk to. And he hadn't even said much to the other!

With a grunt, the normally small male inhaled another breath through his pipe, which the teenager noticed in a fleeting glance was connected to a bottle laying in the shade of the mushroom, the colours ever-changing from blue to green to orange to purple to red to white and back again in another order, before letting it out, creating the shape of a purple kitten playing with a green ball of wool in the air. "What it is that you want? Why has Yuugi sent such a pathetic worm like you to someone as imperative as me?"

"Apparently, you can help me to get to see the Queen." Ignoring the harsh comment, the human sighed from the raised eyebrow now directed at him, realising that the other wanted more than just the simple reason. Obnoxious _and_ difficult, could it get any better? He was beginning to get tired of being made to repeat the same thing over and over, feeling he was starting to sound like a little lost child that was helpless by himself. "I just want to go home."

In turn, all he was given was an amused laugh, but at his embarrassing expense. Seto was laughing _at_ him, something he was not feeling very comfortable with. This was a serious problem he was going though. Was a little help too overrated to ask for?

Quite possibly.

Waving his hand in a dismissive gesture, Seto leaned backwards, legs still hanging over the edge, taking another puff as his tone turned bored. "I do not have the time to play such games with the petty problems of a horrid human." Another picture formed, this one moving, depicting the teenager's form running yet getting nowhere at all. "It is of no concern to me in any way, so why bother?"

Petty? _Horrid?_ What had he done to get such a rude description from this... this... definitely _not_ human person. But, Yuugi had said he could help, and so far, he had been rather truthfully helpful so far. "So what, are you just going to lie there and smoke?" A sea green puff of smoke was the answer to that inquiry. Which was, unfortunately, not all that helpful in any way. It did, however, remind him of the colour of the stones.

With a change in tactics, he stepped closer, staring at the swaying feet that chimed from the small flashing bells. "Are you then able to tell me anything about the strange stones that everyone seems to have. No-one else will, and you seem-"

"_How_ do you know of them?" Seto hissed, bolting up as his eyes flashed to narrowed slits, glaring at the faltering human, hands clenching tightly.

"-smart." He did not expect such a violent reaction to what he thought would have been a simple friendly question. Surprise, yes, confusion, possibly. But an outright harsh demand? He flinched back, creating distance between himself and the blue-clothed being that was emitting unfriendly waves of displeasure. "A-a necklace. I touched a necklace belonging to Dartz that had that stone, and it burnt my hand." His limb was demonstrated, showing the scarred wound from the experience, remembering briefly the sensation of the rough tongue licking the skin, only to diminish it with a heated flush of his cheeks and a shake of his head, continuing with his words. "And when I mentioned it to Ryou, both he and Akefia reluctantly showed their own, describing it as a curse."

From the statement, a mournful grumble was heard as Seto seated himself properly back on the top of the mushroom, back straight and proud, yet tiredness obvious. "A curse is a most apt way to explain what they are to us," the garden inhabitant stated, his eyes drifting to the bangles on his left wrist, where the human noticed one had a stone set in the metal. A green stone, that's colours swirled and merged in their confines. "To put it in a way that your feeble mind could understand, they are binds, wrapping to our souls, our very being, and connect us to the Queen, for her to use us whenever she wishes to, regardless of if we wish her to or not. We are nothing but her play toys, her tools."

Silence then fell over the small clearing, the teenager watching the other as a blank, depressed look swept over his face, the blue dulled to a morbid cerulean . At realising the truth now behind the emerald rock and it's connection with the inhabitants of this place, he managed to find some pity for all those he had encountered so far. Not only were some insane, but all trapped, doomed to a fate they could not control if they wished to.

"_Get out_."

"What?" The growled words drew him out of his musings on the other people, confused crimson once again meeting with steely narrowed sapphire, the previous emotions gone, hidden away, replaced with rage and hatred.

Seto bared his teeth threateningly, the winds picking up, sashaying through the air, the temperature dropping drastically. The tails of his coat rose in the air behind him, flapping and fluttering like the wings of a frustrated butterfly, a terrifying sight to behold. "You foolish, foolish fool!" he snarled out menacingly, "Now you've made me angry by talking about the Queen, by making me even _think_ about the Queen! How dare you! _How dare you!_"

Now terrified at this new side of the creature, because there was now no way Seto was human, the dark-clothed male staggered back, unable to look away for fear of what could happen if he did. Beautifully dangerous, but with how things were going, he wasn't taking any chances if he could avoid it possibly.

He ran. Ran back into the blades of grass to escape, ignoring the howling screams of wind and the echoing screeches that called after him, cursing the human for what he had done.

Distracted in his frantic pace to just escape from the invisible clawing embraces and words, he failed to notice how everything began to grow smaller, and he grew bigger and taller.

- O -

_You need not fear, for what is mine is mine to control, and I will not allow anything to harm you if it is not wished. The simplicity of the words is so complex that it is completely simple; something you may understand if chosen to._

- O -

Once more into the forest he retreated, the sun and heat no longer tormenting his sweaty form as he stepped into the dark, cooling shade of the trees. He didn't care where he was now; anywhere he went in this world was dangerous, regardless of the intentions everyone had towards him.

When the trees began to sway violently and groan from an unfelt wind, the teenager slowed in his pace until coming to a final stop, staring in exhausted panic, too used to the surprising strangeness that swirled around him almost permanently, but concerned as to who or what his next tormentor will be this time. He had grown rather weary of this game, now really wishing to leave from how continuous and repetitive it all seemed in its own way, the desire to still go home growing stronger, back to where he truly belonged, where it all made sense to his mind instead of this backward realm.

Slowly and silently, no warning or indication given about the approach, a set of arms wrapped around the human from behind, a chin then resting against his head. Noticing the striped arm coverings over the pale limbs, combined with the subtle sounds of purring directly from behind, he relaxed in the embrace, leaning back into the warm body of the one floating in the air, eyes closing from a mixture of relief and bliss. A nuzzle was felt on the top of his head through his spikes of his hair, raising a hum to flow from his throat.

"What is wrong, my dear, sweet one?" the feline murmured softly, one hand raised to rub the backs of fingers in an affectionate manner against his cheek while lowering his head until it rested against the human's shoulder, rubbing against the sensitive spot located in the juncture between neck and shoulder.

Unable to contain the shudder racking his body from the welcomed sensation the touches were creating, the dark-clothed male tilted his head, baring more of himself to the creature, red orbs half open with a dazed look in them. He caught his breath long enough to whisper, "I'm even more lost now than before, and -_haaah_-, and, no-one seems willing to help me get -_mmm_- home."

He felt a smirk cross those lips against his skin, probably pleased from the uncontainable noises he made, before pressing a lingering kiss to the exposed neck. The feeling of the other's heat then vanished, a disappointed sigh slipping out of those kissing lips, causing him to blink away the fog, brows furrowing in confusion to the sound. Why such a sigh? Was it all that bad, what they were just doing?

The hand that caressed his face with feather-soft pressure lifted away to point at a group of trees in front of them, palm facing out to the bark, before waving it in a lazy gesture. His puzzled expression changed to one of awe as he observed how the plants obeyed Yuugi's apparent command, their branches bending and twining together, merging into an arch as the trunks seemed to push away from one another, revealing a bright entrance framed in fluttering green and golden-brown leaves, some that slowly lost their grip and sailed to the ground below. Through the created opening, a cobbled road with perfectly tended gardens on each side led up to a white glistening wall, which held a pristine elaborate castle in its midst, flags of red and grey flying in the clear blue sky.

Unable to make much of a sound at the revelation, the human glanced to his right, locking eyes with Yuugi, who stared back just as silently, no emotion visible in the amethyst gaze. He made to move closer to the cat-boy, just to be rejected as the other moaned lowly, ears flattening against the skull. Yuugi floated over to stand beside one of the trees creating the archway, arms crossed tightly across his chest and head lowered, golden bangs covering the eyes, the eyes that sparkled and spoke of many things in one glance.

"If you want to go home," the creature said, voice devoid of emotion as he refused to budge in his stance, "then the Queen will help. She can be found through here, in her castle."

"Why? Why did you not do this in the first place?"

The teenager watched as Yuugi flinched at the desperate plea in his voice, claws digging into the flesh of his upper arms, drawing tiny drops of blood to the surface. His head raised fractionally, barely showing the eyes, but easily revealing the forming tears gathered at the corners. "I had my reasons, just as you have yours."

And with that statement, he vanished into the air once more, leaving the human, a puzzled and confused human, lonely and feeling as if he could break.

- O -

_You will find this normal soon, for it shall be a part of you. You will never be able to fully part with the magic and wonder that is this land. The beauty and power that is my land._

- O -

A distraught frown marring his face, the human ambled his way through the revealed entrance, eyes downcast watching his feet robotically move by themselves, no heed paid to manicured gardens and blooming red roses on either side of his form, the idea of being betrayed too numbing to his mind. One person - no, _thing_ - that he thought he could have completely trusted in this backwards world had torn that idea up completely, shredding any possibilities and throwing the remains into the blistering winds and joyfully waving goodbye.

"Halt there, intruder!"

Of course, having his head down and looking blankly at the ground instead of up had its downfalls. He had missed the approaching armed guards running towards him, crossing their spears against the comrade's ones, forming a glinting dangerous enclosure around the teenager, forcing him to stumble into the poles, forehead smacking into the smooth wooden surface. Crimson stared around, bewildered at what he had walked in to. But, if he was going to be constantly toyed with, may as well get captured by soldiers then; something else to add to his list of the weird and bizarre adventures of his life so far.

"Under the orders of the illustrious Red Queen, ruler of the noble land that is Astrenalle , we command you to reveal your purpose here in front of the holy gates!" The words all seemed to come simultaneously from the guards, a chorus in perfect synchronisation, refusing to budge even a millimetre from their stances.

What did he have to lose from here on out, the teenager figured to himself with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. With a bored tone, he stated, "I was told that the Queen could help me get home from being dragged here by Dartz." When no movement was made to let him pass, or that anyone acknowledged what he had just said, he pointed his finger to the sky, swirling it around in the air. "From, you know, up there? Where only humans exist."

"The Queen's companion!" the multiple voices hushed out in a revered tone, lowering their spears to the ground and knelt towards him, heads bowed in reverence. "Forgive our mistake," they apologised respectfully as one, "for we expected you to have been guided here by one of the citizens of our realm."

An uncomfortable feeling churned his stomach at watching the changed attitude on the guards, wanting to step away but still surrounded on all sides by bowing people. "No no, that's fine," he stammered out, not liking the attention that he was currently receiving. He was the one who preferred to stand in the back, watching, unless something important called him forward. "Here, look, if you can take me to see the Queen as soon as possible, I'll forgive all of you. Deal?" He only hoped that that would stir them up into something appearing more normal.

It did, thankfully, get them to rise from the ground, only to then form two guarding rows next to him, one line on each side, giving the image of a travelling lord being protected by an armoured procession, something he figured may have been a partial improvement. Maybe. He wasn't quite sure, still slightly stunned at what was going on.

The group began to move forward, the large gates opening automatically at their approach, letting their human escort easily pass under the arch and into the immaculate interior of the walls, where roses of any and every shades of red decorated any surface it could reach without getting in anybody's way, the thorns large and dangerous, forbidding anyone unaccustomed to handling the flowers to even consider coming near. Standing in clusters around the beige cobblestoned courtyard, surrounding the fountain in the middle that spat out ruby, almost a blood-red shade, water from the centre up into the air, clusters of splendidly dressed people and creatures watching his arrival, whispering behinds hands and opened fans to their partners. From where he stood, he was able to make out a few of the things that were said, causing him to flush from embarrassment.

"Look, look! It's him!"

"Such a scruffy outfit..."

"I don't believe it."

"...chosen specifically by her..."

"...and look at his _eyes!_ So beautiful."

"...she has a keen eye for..."

"So cute!"

"...know if it will work out..."

'_Please, let me go home soon!_'

Under the gazes of the nobles of the court, the teenager entered into the castle, his protectors stopping at the glass-stained doors that depicted various parts of Astrenalle in simplified form. A maid in a vermilion blouse and raven skirt directed him to the throne room, leaving no time for him to gawk about the palace, leading him to the throne room then departing once her job had been successfully completed, allowing the privacy of the two inside.

Seated in a plump cushioned throne, with elaborate silver vines having been melded around the chair's frame with metal scarlet roses in various forms of blooming, she regally sat, posture showing not one single flaw. The usually large bell-shaped skirt of her dress fell perfectly down to the ground like a waterfall, the deep burgundy colour shimmering from the many diamonds and rubies stitched into the glittered fabric, black lace both edging the bottom of the skirt, and creating designs of bouquets on the dress. The bodice of the outfit blended in well, the fabric shade and glimmers matching the lower half, corset having been done tightly to push her pale chest up to reveal her heaving torso. No sleeves were designed with the dress, giving full view of the ebony gloves that covered each entire arm, glittering rings on many of the fingers that spoke of wealth, yet not one on either ring finger.

Her brunette hair had been left to fall gracefully to her shoulders, the bangs and few random strands framing her unblemished face. A golden-wired crown, that had been created with the same design as what was on the throne, sat lightly on top of her head, but at the centre of each flower were various sizes of jade stones, similar to the ones of everyone he had come across in this world. Blood-red lipstick covered pert lips, the colour scheme mimicked with the eye shadow that brought out her azure eyes, an almost pink line swept on the edge of each eyelid.

When he kept hearing about the way that everyone spoke about the Queen, he had not imagined someone who looked like her. In his head, the human had pictured a large, grumpy old woman who scowled and forced all around to constantly submit and bow on their knees to her. Instead, he was presented with this slim, smiling appealing woman that seemed to ask with "please" and "thank you", making people _wish_ to serve.

Upon finally making eye contact with the Queen, he watched as she practically beamed and leapt out of her chair, almost gliding over to where he stood and embraced his form in a warm, welcoming hug.

"Oh, my dear, sweet darling," she cooed out, her voice shrill from the echoing of the spacious room, "we thought you would never make it here to us, to me." A press of her cheek, a quick tittering giggle and a brief squeeze of her grip followed her words, causing him to rethink his original perception of what he thought was an elegant Queen to a mindless girl.

"You Majesty-"

"_Anzu_."

Crimson blinked, staring at the blazing cerulean, forgetting briefly how to speak from fear at the freezing harshness with which she used to introduce herself. "Anzu," he slowly repeated, observing how she morphed back to her original persona, allowing him to continue, "I was... directed here to you, in the hopes that you may be able to help me in getting back home."

The Queen tittered, leaning her head back so she could look at him, a smile of fondness given when revealing something so obvious to someone. "Oh, you silly, you. Don't you understand it yet? You _are_ home." Ignoring his baffled and flabbergast reaction, she snuggled back into his chest, eyes closed in bliss, sighing, "You were brought here to rule beside me, as my husband."

Looking anywhere but at the one hugging him -capturing him- at current, the teenager's mind could hardly process what she had said. He had a family, and a life back home, at his home, where he belonged. He didn't belong in this world, this strange world where everyone was out to get him, wanted him in different ways - a toy, a decoy, a victim, a-

- _stripes, childish, feline, amethyst_ -

- an object for someone to grow attached to, and that object to gain an affection for.

The feeling of Anzu releasing him drew the human from his thoughts, observing how she ran back to her throne, reaching out behind and pulling forward a velvet-covered box. "This has all been planned. See? See?" Out of the box, she revealed a crown similar to hers, but instead of vines, golden branches twined together, a small stone set in the middle placement, glinting almost menacingly at him, beckoning. A pout crossed her painted lips, staring at the royal adornment. "I searched and searched and searched for the most perfect match to be my husband. And over the ninety years spent searching, I found nothing, deeming it all hopeless.

"But then, a cute little boy walked by!" Anzu gushed, hands clasped under her chin in delight, staring towards him with uncontainable excitement. "From his pretty hair, to his pretty eyes, to his pretty nose; everything about him was just pretty! I knew that he was the one. So for eleven years I watched over him, frightening away anyone that wished to get close to him, and saw him grow into such a handsome man, until I had enough of waiting and summoned him to me." A wistful breath was released, speaking of the 'torture' she had to endure for such a long time.

"Now, he is here, for you are here, and all is at last complete, my darling dear. Can you not imagine how much better this pathetic world will become under our rule? How all those who reside in it, those puppets who don't obey properly, will finally kneel before the command of Queen Anzu, and her dashingly charming King-"

"_STOP!_"

The force of the word brought all to a dead stop, the silence more deafening than Anzu's intentions. But he didn't care about the situation, disgusted at what she had admitted nonchalantly. Eleven years? _Eleven_ years? Some strange person from another world had been watching him for eleven years? He was still a child at that time, just getting to understand his own world. And she had chased everyone away from him, for her own pleasurable gain? Unfortunately for her then, as he would hold no interest in someone who could do something so creepy and sickening.

Taking small steps back slowly, the teenager kept a firm gaze on the Queen, keeping his voice even and neutral to hide his repulsed feelings. "Anzu, your Majesty, as flattering as what you have done, I must say that I'll be declining your offer. So, I'm sorry for the wasted years, but the answer is no to being your King."

Her form went still from what he had said, azure emptying of emotions. He watched the crown drop from her limp fingers to the ground, a loud clashing sound bellowing out, the stone shattering upon impact, her own jewel just beginning to shine. From that, he flung the door behind him open and sprinted down the hallway and into the courtyard, winding around the statuesque nobles that had halted half-way through their actions, a glimmer of green reflected by the sun in each character's eyes. He didn't care, making it onto the path, darting to the still opened entrance into the forest. Escape, freedom, sanctuary, run, run, _run_, _almost there_...

"_FIND HIM! FIND HIM AND BRING HIM BACK TO ME! BRING HIM BACK! BRING HIM BACK! BRING HIM __**BACK**__!_"

Anzu's shrill cry rang loud and clear in the air full of uncontrollable rage, followed by an emerald shaft of light shooting straight up into the sky from the palace, a green hue taking over the original colour of the sky. Various smaller beams of light escaped from the green column, flying onto various sections of this insane world, causing him to run even faster.

And he ran through the forest. Passed the trees, the obstacles, the tidy lawn covered in a carpet of blossom petals, where the two tea-partiers sat frozen in their seats, Akefia poised with a cup of tea halfway to his lips. the steaming liquid dripping over the rim from the strange angle. Ryou's ears were perked high in the air, listening, waiting, then swivelling when his footsteps grew closer and louder. The both of them turned their heads simultaneously towards his direction, a twin set of swirling green eyes trained on him - cold, void, empty of anything. The human lost all reluctance to stop, but instead sped up at seeing them raise from their chairs, the Hatter's cup smashing on the ground, and begin to chase after him.

'_Help me_.'

And he ran through the forest. Trying to block out the thump-thumping footsteps behind me, the teenager kept at his blind path, wanting to escape anywhere he could find, and nearly running into an old, run-down house. An old, run-down house with a crazed looking rabbit standing in the opened doorway, a maniacal grin splitting his face terribly. The sight forced him to angle to the right and keep going, ignoring the now three sets of feet chasing behind, and the insane callings of, "We mustn't dally, she's not a patient woman, heh heh heh, no, no, come on, get _back HERE __**NOW**__!_"

'_Someone, please, help me!_'

And he ran through the forest. Right into a small clearing where, side by side, the two blondes from the beginning stood, their gazes holding none of their original teasing, shaded in a dull yet gleaming emerald shade. Mariku displayed no reaction at his appearance, but Malik beamed childishly, the smile forced onto his lips by the will of someone else, causing it to look painful. "Pretty, pretty, you have returned, to play with us forever and ever, until the last sun dies and the first stars cry." The mixed tone of the unanimously spoken words, one dead and negated, the other energetic and lively, terrified him, compelling him to slant again to escape the unnatural duo.

'_Please, help me. Someone, anyone, help me, __**please**__!_'

And he ran through the forest. The ever-changing forest, running, running, running from the group chasing after him, all crazed, all focused, all green-eyed possessed by one single mentally-challenged female with stalker's tendencies. A patch of light shone ahead, he recognising the clearing patch he originally woke up in upon entering this maddening, sick world. His breaths were beginning to come short, his legs burning, his resolve wavering, all will to escape almost vanished as he placed one foot onto the grass in the empty space -

'_Help me, please, please, Yuugi, please Yuugi, please help, help me Yuugi, Yuugi please, Yuugi, __**Yuugi**__, __**YUUGI**__!_'

- and a pale clawed hand grasped tightly to his, pulling the human further forward, while the other clawed hand swung in a command to the trees behind him, forcing the branches to groan and move, entwining together, creating an impressive barrier to stop those running after. Their howls of outrage and frustration echoed after the two, who were now aiming for the opposite end of the clearing, Yuugi guiding him deep into the thicker, darker section of forest from which he had escaped from.

Tired from what he had fled without guidance and only panic and fear, he was willing to allow the hybrid to drag him through the new area, listening to the fading sounds of his pursuers, grasping the hand in his own like it was his only lifeline, squeezing tight, feeling the action returned just as desperately, just as willingly.

Up ahead, a large expanse of black liquid moved like swimming glass, each ripple catching each ray of sunlight perfectly, a sense of peace and majestic magic, older than the time he felt in each member and place visited during his travelling. Lush grass, richer and brighter and livelier than anywhere else, grew underfoot, vines beginning their trekking climb up and around the large trunks of the trees that guarded the almost sacred area, their green leaves providing brilliant cover, illustrating elaborate silhouettes on the ground that played and swayed in the whispering breeze.

Pausing behind the border line, he gazed about the space in amazement, before hesitatingly moving forward, Yuugi gently lead him in his own time and pace, watching with attentive fondness. "What is this place?" he asked quietly, afraid to shatter the image if speaking too loud. "Is it safe?"

Yuugi hummed at the inquiry, pausing as he spun around, eyes connecting pleasantly, causing the teenager to also stop in place. "Poor sweet. My poor, sweet, beautiful one," the hybrid murmured, almost purring, cradling his partner's face with gentle fingers, thumbs ever so softly ghosting over the skin reassuringly. He leant up, rubbing their noses affectionately together, crimson sliding closed in bliss at the simple act, before leading the curious male to the edge of the water, looking down into the unseen depths. "We are at one of the few places that will send you home for sure."

Home. _Home_. The place he wanted to go in the first place. The reason for causing him to search all over this place, asking everyone he came across for help to achieve that goal. _Home_. But, home would not feel complete without one thing now, one thing that mattered so much to him, more than anything he could think of. Home would never be complete without...

"Come with me, please," he begged the feline, grasping Yuugi's upper arms with determination, desperate to not let go, staring deep into amethyst, that his so many thoughts and feelings behind broken walls, that chipped and peeled away as they continued to stare at each other. He didn't want Yuugi, no. No, he _needed_ Yuugi for his home to be complete. He _needed_ Yuugi to feel complete, for now and for always. No other thought given, no consideration held for anything, he pulled the other into a kiss, one that spoke of all the passion and affection and joy and desire and everything he felt for the hybrid, only to be elated as thin arms wrapped around his neck, pulling both bodies flush against one another as the feelings were willingly reciprocated.

They cared not for time, they cared not for the world around them, they cared not for the danger pursuing after them. They cared only for one another, expressing their true feelings to the person who mattered the most opening themselves honestly for the other to see, binding each to the other as best as they could in regards to their situation.

The moment had to be ruined however as the thumping noise of things approaching inched closer to the duo, Yuugi reluctantly pulling away first. A low moan of disappointment fled from his throat at both the interruption and loss of heat on his lips. Calm fingers stroked the side of his face in an almost apologetic manner, causing him to nuzzle into the touch, before they moved to his chest and shoved him backwards. Hard.

Incapable of stopping his descent, the teenager could only look intently into Yuugi's gaze, that was now sad and fond and lonely and apologetic and full of absolute love all in one, as he crashed through and under the surface of the water. A slow wave was given to his dropping body, just as the swarm of possessed creatures burst into the area behind the feline, capturing his form in their grasps.

It was the last thing he saw before at all went black, his body drifting lower and lower and lower into the unending chasm...

- O -

_A new dream is needed to keep our world alive. And you, you will now always be forever one with us._

- O -

Seated in the corner of a padded pale-walled room with one barred window, wearing a matching white jacket that bound his arms to wrap around his body, the teenager rocked back and forth in his spot, a maniacal grin plastered on his face, scarlet dulled to an empty abyss. Without moving his lips, he kept chanting the same name over and over in a content sigh, so low that anybody trying to listen would have to strain their ears to hear properly.

"Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi. Yuugi."

Outside the room in the heated hallway of the hospital, staring into the scene through the metallic door that kept him locked in, his parents watched their son's madness continue, a doctor observing with a clipboard clutched in his hands, taking notes that were required, his gaze drifting occasionally to the distraught parents, sympathy evident in his hazel eyes.

In some strange way, he could understand what the couple was going through. Years ago, he had to watch the mental breakdown of his sister after losing the sight in her eyes, causing him to abandon everything he did to spend time with her, reassuring her on how life would still be good, defending her from those that constantly wanted to experiment futile attempts to 'fix' both her vision and her mind. It was that experience that led him to choose the path of becoming a well-known doctor that people trusted to go and see.

Fortunately, because of his support and protection, his sister was only stuck in the hospital for two years. Unfortunately for his patient, despite his help and attempts, the doctor saw no such release into society for the young boy for a long, long time, already being nearly four years since his admittance.

"He's been rather good today," he attempted to reassure the two, hoping that the little bit of news would help them. Their visits had become routine, almost scheduled on the day's calendar, as they hoped to see even a glimmer of the son they raised before the change happened. His words were rewarded with a recognising nod from the father, whose gaze remained on the teenager now giggling to himself, and the mother turning her head to give a watery smile, trying hard to be positive about everything.

"Does it mean progress then?" the male of the couple asked, his voice null of emotion, the same sight gripping at him each time until he gave up showing how he truly felt. The question was the same as well, followed by her honest imploring stare.

And, as always, their answer was of the same sort. "I'm afraid not." The blonde doctor had the heart to turn away, not wanting to see his shoulders slump and her almost collapse into a broken heap on the ground, the only thing able to hold her up being her husband's arm wrapped around her shoulders. "None of the medications that we have are working, once we were able to finally inject them into his system. If anything, he has regrettably been getting worse over time."

"Why? Why him? What did he ever do?" she wailed out desperately, wanting someone to give her the answer she craved for. "Why did I have to lose my babies?"

'_Why indeed?_' He knew the story of why his charge had to be admitted to the psych ward. Heck, everyone knew of the story, either through the news and papers, or through being one of those affected by the aftermath of the event. And it had taken only one stupid man to do it, all because he was bored, as he told the judge as his defence during the trial. So bored, that he decided to drug an innocent teenager boy at a local school with an unclassified substance, which caused him to become so mentally unstable un under three hours that he murdered everybody in his entire class, which consisted of one teacher and 24 other students of his age. One of those students happening to be his younger twin, Yuugi.

It had taken a combination of four policemen and two paramedics to hold the teenager down after the slaughter, with a third paramedic injecting a calming solution into him, making him easier to transport to the hospital for diagnostics. By then, it was too late. Mixed with the remnants of the original drug, and the horror of the atrocity he had done, especially to Yuugi - "No! No! Not my Yuugi! No no no no _NO!_" - he had mentally degraded, until all that was left was a jumbled mind with no salvation in his slowly deteriorating body. At least he wasn't charged with anything from the trial, due to the reasoning of how it started, and what he ended up becoming.

Giving a sigh of defeat over the situation, the doctor gave one more glance at the parents and their hidden son before turning away, leaving the couple to their daily mourning over the loss of both sons until the next day, when it would all begin again.

The teenager known as Yami had been dead for a long time, leaving only an unknown shell behind as replacement.

- O -

_**You will forever be a part of me.**_

- O -

_I do apologise for the long wait. This story has been on and off with progress, as I have been busy with so much, such as dealing with the move, sorting out decent work hours each week, and then trying to not fall back into depression once more for how badly things have in fact been working out so far. Any future updates will, at the moment, be most likely irregular and slow, until I can both get everything sorted and find a pace to work at that I feel comfortable with._

_I had to change the entire ending completely from the original. It was supposed to be something more happy and pleasant with Yuugi and Yami reuniting in Yami's world. But I decided to change it to something hopefully more interesting and different to all those usual cliché 'happily ever after' stories. _

_When she is written well, I do rather like Anzu. However, I had to choose someone for the role, and she was just the most perfect fit to get it to work out properly._


End file.
